Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1887-12-09
TALMAGE'S SERMON,
The Weekly Discourse of the Great
Brooklyn Preacher
Subject; '"Ehirst ina IA Cavern

war always distressing, Is especially ruin
Gus in harvest time. When the crops are all
ready for the sickle, to have them trodden
down by cavalry horses and heavy supply
trains outlying the fields, is enough to make
any mans heart sick. When the last great
war broke out in Europe, and France and
Germany were coming into horrid collision, I
rode across their golden harvests, and saw the
tents pitched, and the trenches dug in the
very midst of the ripe fields, the long
Scytne OF battle sharpening to NOW
down harvests of men I'm great
winrows of the dead. It was at this season
OF harvest that the ermy Of the Philistinss
came down upon Bethlehem. Hark to the
clamor Of their voices, the neighing of their
chargers, the blare Of their trumpets, and the
clash of their shieldsl
Let David and his men fall backl Ths
Lords host sometimes loses the day.
But David knew where to hide He
had been brought up in that country
Boys are relnquistice, and they know all about
the region where they were born and brought
up. If yoe should go back to the old home
stead, you could, with your eyes shut, find
your way to the meadow, or the orchard, or
the hill back of the house, with which you
were familiar thirty or forty years ago So
David knew the cave Of Adullam PERHAPS
in his boyhood days, he hal played "hide-
and-soek" with his comrades all about
tho old cave; and tAough others
might not have known it, David did.
Travellers say there is only one way of get
ting into that cave, and that is by very
narrow path; but David was stout, and
steady-headed, and steady -nervel; and SO,
with his three brave static Ulcers, he goes
along that path finds his way into the cave,
sits down, looks around the roof and the
dark passages OF the mountain, feels very
weary with the forced march: and water he
must have, or die do not know but there
may have been drops trickling down the side
Of the cavern, or that there may
have been some water ia the
goat-skin slung TO his girdle; but
that was not what he wanted. He wanted a
deep, full, cold drink. such as a man gets
only out of an old veil with moss-covered
bucket. David remembered that very nesr
that cave of Adu lam there was such a well
as that, well to which he used to go in
Soyhood-the well Of Bethlehem; and he al
most 1magnns that he can hear the LIQUID
plash Of that well, AMI his parched tongue
moves through his hot lips as he says: "Oh,
that one would give me drink of the water OF
the we'll Of Bethlehem, which is by the gater'
1t was no fooner said than done The three
rave stafP-oiftcers bounded to their feet ami
start. Brave soldiers will take even hint
from their commander. But between them
ard the well lay host of the Philistines; and
what could three men do W! It'll q great army
Yet where there is q will there is a way, and,
with their swords sashing this way and that,
they make their path to the well. While the
Phlllsslnes are amazed at the seeming fool
hardness Of these three men, and cannot
make up their minds exactly what it means,
the three men have come to the we'll
They drop the bucket. They bring
up, the water. They pour it In the
pail, and then start for the cave. "Stop
them" Cry tho Philistines. clip them with
your swords Stab them with your spearsl
Stop tho7e three menm Too latel They are
gone around the hill The hot rocks are
splasEed with the overRowing water from
the vessel at it is carried up the cliffs. The
three men go along the dangerous path, and
with cheeks flushed with the excitement, and
all out of breath in their haste they fling their
swords, red with the sllirmish, to the side of
the cave and cry out to David: "There,
Captain OF the host, is what you wanted @
drink of the well of Bethlehem, which is by
the gate"
A text is Of no use to me unless I can find
Christ in it; AMI unless l can bring Gospel
out of these words that will arouse and conf
fort and bless, / shall wish had never seen
them; for your time woulI be wasted, and
against my soul the dark record would be
made that this day / stood before great au-
dience of SHINING, suffering, and dying men.
and told them of no rescue By the cross of
the Son Of God, by the throne OF the eternal
Judgment that shall not bel May the Lord
Jesus help me to tell you the truth to-day!
You know that carrier pigeons have some
times letters tied under the wing, and they
fly hundreds of milestone hundred miles in
an hour-caTying a message. So l have
thought l would like to have it now. Oh,
heavenly Dove bring under thy wing
today, to my soul and TO the souls of this
people, some message of light, and love- and
peace!
1t is not an unusual thing to see people
gather around n we'll in summertime The
husbandman puts down his cradle at the well
curb. The builder puts down his trowel The
traveller puts down his pack Then one draw:
the water for all the rest, himself taking the
very last The cup is passed around, and
the fires of thirst are put out; the traveller
starts on his journey and the workman takes
up his burden.
My friends, we come to-day around the
Gospel we'll. We put down our pack of bur
deus and our implements OF toll One mar
must draw the water for those who have
gathered around the well. / will try and
draw the water today; and if, after l have
poured out from this living fountain for YOU
soul. just taste of it myself. YOU will not be-
grudge me a "drink from the water of tn,
well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate"
This Gospel well, like the well spoken of il
the text, is well Of Bethlehem. David haC
known hundreds of wells of water, but ht
wanted to drink from that particular one
and he thought nothing could slske his thirs
like that. And unless your soul and mine Cal
get access to the Fountain open for sin anC
uncleanneSs we must die. That fountain i
the well of Bethlehem. 1t was dug in tn,
night. 1t was dug by the light of lanterl
the star that hung down over th,
manger. 1t was dug not at the gate o
Cmsar's palaces, not in the park of a Jeru
salem bargain maker. 1t was dug in barn
The camels lifted their weary heads to listel
as the work went on. The shepherds, unabl
to sleep, because the heavens were filed witt
bands Of music, came down to see the open
ing OF the well. The angels Of Cod at the frs
gush of the living water, dipped their chalice
OF joy into it, and drank to the health o
earth and heaven, as they cried: GLORY T.
God in the highest, and on earth peace
Sometimes in our modern barns the water i
brought through the pipes of the city to tn
very nostrils of the horses or cattle; but thi
well in the Bethlehem barn was not so nue.
for the leasts that perish as for our race
thirst-smittten, desert-traveled and SIMEON
struck. Oh, my SOUL weary with sin, stoo
down and drink to-day out of that Bethlehem
welll
LAS the heart panteth after the water
brooks, so my soul panteth after thee,
| God" You would get better understand
ing of this amidst the Adirondacks in sun
mer-time. Here comes a swift-footed deer
| The hounds are close on the track; it ha
leape1 chasms and scaled cliffs; it is fagge
| ont: its eyes are rolling i'll death
rs tongue is lolling from its foamin
mouth Faster the deer, faster the dog
until it plunges into Schroon Lake and th
hounds can follow it no farther, and il put
down its head and mouth until the nost1'il
clean submerged in the cool wave, and ur
derstand it: AS the heart panteth for th
water brook so panteth my soul after thee
Q God" Oh, bring me water from that well
Little child, who has learned OF Jesus i
the Sabbath-school, bring Inc some q
that living water Old man, VIII
fifty years ago didst find the wei
bring me some of that water Stranger in
strange land who 1sed to hear sung in th
Highlands of Scotland to the turo OF .Bor
ME Doom, 1.-THE STAR the Star of Bethle
hem % bring gonna Of that NLhaa.